Dr. Sayed built his reputation on his superb breast work. When he first entered practice, he cultivated his interest in breast surgery by collaborating with his practice colleagues, supplementing his extensive residency and fellowship training with real-world experience in the extremely image-conscious markets. Before even entering medical school, Dr. Sayed had the opportunity to scrub with one of the inventors of the breast implant during volunteer preceptorships at Baylor College of Medicine. He diligently studied the anatomy of the breast in medical school and took a particular interest in breast cosmetics while in residency. Once in practice, he quickly developed a reputation for natural, convincing breast reconstruction and excellent cosmetic breast enhancement, including breast augmentation (implants), lifts and reductions. He is equally at home with saline and silicone implants and can give you great education on the pros and cons, using state-of-the-art simulation software (Crisalix®) and medical record drawing tools (which he helped develop!). He has used Mentor®, Allergan® and Sientra® implants and has a detailed understanding of their various benefits. Here’s a fun fact: while in Palm Beach, Dr. Sayed was reputed to create the “best nipples in town” by one of the community’s most trusted gynecologists and sexual counselors.
Breast surgery is complicated. It’s no wonder that touchups and revisions are common in the industry even among the very best plastic surgeons in Southern California. Dr. Sayed is fond of a funny saying in plastic surgery: “Breast surgery would be easy if there was only one of them and it didn’t have a nipple.” Kidding aside, this speaks to the complex and dynamic nature of the breast as an organ or femininity and self-identity. It has functional and aesthetic factors that must be respected. There are probably billions of unique shapes, volumes and findings among our global population, which makes breast surgery one of the most personal and intimate procedures to consider. We understand that selecting your surgeon for cosmetic breast surgery is a difficult decision. Dr. Sayed regularly educates the public on RealSelf and Zwivel®, among other venues, to help them understand what to expect with breast augmentation, breast lifting, or breast reduction. Dr. Sayed served faithfully on the breast cancer center advisory boards of three hospital breast centers, and was on the Speakers’ Bureau of Lifecell, one of the manufacturers of products commonly used in breast surgery. He also continues to provide selective breast reconstruction procedures, and is proud to have supported breast cancer fundraisers and nonprofit organizations throughout his plastic surgery career.
En Bloc Breast Implant Removal
The en bloc breast implant removal procedure is a safe, effective method of implant extraction that involves removing the whole capsule of scar tissue surrounding the implant. By removing the capsule and breast implant entirely as a single piece, this method successfully prevents any further risk of developing capsule in the future. The capsule may contain fluid, silicone fragments, bacteria, and other potentially harmful substances if capsular contracture has begun to set in, and en bloc will remove all of these in a single procedure. Additionally, some patients who have concerns about “Breast Implant Illness,” a nonspecific set of body symptoms seen in many patients with breast implants who seek removal, may experience clinical improvement with the en bloc procedure (though this is not guaranteed).
Your breast tissues will fall back into a more natural place over time, though Dr. Sayed can also safely insert another breast implant afterward in patients who are interested in continuing to have implants. Breast lifts are also commonly done at the same time to better size the breast skin envelope, lift saggy tissues, reposition the nipple or reduce the areolar size, or do other corrective steps to help achieve a better cosmetic result. Fat grafting is also available to selected patients who may desire more volume and fullness than their natural breast tissues can provide. Dr. Sayed has performed many en bloc removals, is quickly becoming one of the most talked-about explant/en bloc surgeons in the country, and will counsel you on this method if it is right for you.
Breast Lift (Mastopexy)
Some patients seeking cosmetic breast surgery are good candidates for breast implants. Others have enough breast tissue but need “the girls” pushed up into a more youthful position, especially after pregnancies and breast feeding. Some younger patients naturally have descended breasts that can benefit from lifting techniques. Dr. Sayed will perform an analysis of your breast shape, symmetry, degree of overhang, volume and nipple position and, using measurements and simulation tools, help you understand what a breast lift with or without implants may achieve. Lifts can range from small corrections using an incision around the nipple/areola to vertical scar techniques that create a moderate degree of elevation, up to a full inverted-T (anchor) scar pattern that provides comprehensive shaping capability. Your needs will depend on measurements and aesthetic findings during your consultative process.
Breast Augmentation
Breast implants have a long and storied history in plastic surgery. Dr. Sayed is experienced with a variety of breast implant approaches, including inframammary, periareolar and transaxillary incisions, submuscular/dual plane and subglandular placement, management of capsular contracture, use of silicone and saline implants (smooth, round, textured, shaped, you name it), and combinations with lifts and other enhancements. Whether you are going for a “natural” teardrop shape or a “fake done-up Instagram-worthy” look common in Southern California, Dr. Sayed has a number of techniques available to help you express your goals and to help him try to achieve them. Use of the Crisalix software system has revolutionized breast implant planning, as it can give you a preview of some possible looks and help you and Dr. Sayed in planning for your implant style and size. Dr. Sayed only uses FDA-approved implants available in the United States and enjoys teaching patients the real deal about breast implant surgery. Dr. Sayed can share with you a gallery of before and after photos of patients with a variety of body and breast types who have had various breast implants placed.
With good communication and proper planning, Dr. Sayed works hard to help his patients realize Aesthetics Done Right™
Capsular Contracture
Capsular contracture is an unwanted byproduct of breast augmentation that affects a small number of breast implant patients. Over the years, plastic surgeons have developed improved methods of placement of implants, designed to help reduce the risk of capsular contracture and other issues. Capsular contracture is a condition where the body’s natural response to an implant – the formation of a thin tissue layer surrounding the device – overexpresses itself in the form of a thickened capsule. This may distort the appearance of one of both implants, and in some cases, is uncomfortable or painful. With the advent of dual plane breast augmentation, Keller funnel, and other methods, board certified plastic surgeons have been able to keep our rates of capsular contracture low. Occasionally we have to perform surgery to try to correct this condition. This may require the use of special materials, replacement implants, and even new incisions in some cases. The good news is that many patients with capsular contracture can get a durable improvement with revision surgery and can often avoid a recurrent capsular contracture. Dr. Sayed has experience managing this condition and can discuss options with you.
Breast Reduction
Some patients develop excessively heavy breasts during puberty, young adulthood, or after pregnancy. In some cases, the heaviness of excessively bulky breast tissue can cause severe neck, back, and shoulder pain or cause embarrassment. Breast reduction surgery has been shown in the medical literature to have one of the highest patient satisfaction rates, with improvement in bothersome symptoms apparent very early after surgery. A breast reduction can be thought of as a breast lift with removal of a moderate to significant amount of tissue, as the procedure helps lift sagging breasts and reduce the weight. Dr. Sayed employs two commonly used methods – the vertical breast reduction and the inverted-T (anchor) reduction, depending on your needs. He can show you examples of the effect of breast reduction using state-of-the-art simulation software and drawing tools. Dr. Sayed has performed breast reduction on patients of varying body types and bra sizes, from across a wide spectrum of ethnic backgrounds, and is happy to share some before and after photos with you. While Dr. Sayed does not currently offer breast reduction through insurance programs, his staff can provide you information that may be helpful if you seek reimbursement from your carrier.
Nipple Reduction
Like breast shape and size, nipple shape and size is highly variable. Some patients have excessively large nipples or areolas (the pigmented areas around the nipples) which may benefit from reduction. It is not uncommon after multiple pregnancies and in certain ethnic groups. Nipple/areola reduction can often be done under local anesthesia, depending on the cause. If prior surgery has resulted in a widened areola, conversion to a breast lift technique with a vertical or anchor incision may be required. If the problem is tall, protuberant nipples, these can often very easily be reduced in a very short procedure. This is not a subject for patients to be embarrassed about – it is often a very natural occurrence. We are happy to be able to offer this service to happy patients!
Nipple Reconstruction
One of the most important steps in breast reconstruction after cancer treatment is restoration of a structure to mimic the nipple. Nipples are part of what gives human beings, and all mammals, our identity as a species, and are a source of feminine self-esteem and sensuality. While we can not yet simulate the full sensation of a normal nipple, we sure can create convincing nipple reconstructions! This is one of Dr. Sayed’s favorite procedures to do – it can make a “breast mound” suddenly more convincing as a true breast reconstruction, and when followed by areolar tattooing, it often represents the well-deserved and restorative culmination of a lengthy journey for breast cancer patients. Dr. Sayed become well known for breast reconstruction approaches in his decade of practice in south Florida and offers this procedure to eligible patients on both coasts!